ABSTRACT
I recommend that you start the first week of school by getting your class to practice what to do. It is really important to spend the first few weeks of school establishing the rules, consequences, and rewards that will govern the rest of the year. Here are a few key things to remember. First, the rules should be clear, explicit, and few-perhaps three to five. According to classroom management theory, rules should be written in positive language, so no “Don’ts” or “Nevers.” They should be written on a poster and hung on the wall and ideally established and agreed upon by the class as a whole. It’s a good idea to get all the students to sign the rules, so they can’t say later they didn’t know. For example, three rules could be: 1) We respect each other, so we are kind in our words and actions; 2) We work hard all the time; and 3) We take care of our classroom materials. Consequences should be immediate. There should be a sense of fairness: nobody should get more chances than anybody else. By chances I mean,
for example, that students get a warning (you’re on yellow) before they go directly to red. When students are off task in their centers, they should immediately be cautioned. When whole groups are off task, they should be required to put away their centers and go back to their desks. When there are immediate consequences, students learn fairly quickly to stay on task. They don’t like sitting at their desks with nothing to do while everyone else is actively engaged. All educators have their own philosophy on rewards. Some teachers believe in only intrinsic rewards while others believe in a balance between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Whatever your philosophy, don’t bankrupt your economy. The bottom line is that your students get to keep the things they earn (whether that be pizza points, marbles, or tally marks). Taking away stuff that you already gave sends the wrong message-that what you have earned is not secure. So, if students have 50 points, you can’t get mad and erase 10. That’s not fair.
